


The Football Player

by Pixelatrix



Series: Universal Truth One-Shots: Darby & Wallace [6]
Category: Mass Effect
Genre: Angst, Domestic Violence, Drinking, F/M, Non-Consensual Violence, Non-Graphic Violence
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-10-04
Updated: 2013-10-04
Packaged: 2017-12-28 09:54:39
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,973
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/990652
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Pixelatrix/pseuds/Pixelatrix
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>This is a one-shot from Universal Truth. It tells the story of the degenerate football player that Wallace mentions Darby dating in Ch 35.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Football Player

**Author's Note:**

> Bioware owns all, except my original characters.
> 
> Warning, mentions of violence, though not graphic mentions.
> 
> *Note: for my American readers, =), football here references soccer, not American football…not that it matters but yea. Lol*
> 
> Face References:  
> Luke Greene: http://pixelatrix.tumblr.com/post/63029400596/mensfashionworld-james-perse-pre-autumn-2013  
> Davis: http://pixelatrix.tumblr.com/post/63078314808  
> Charlie: http://pixelatrix.tumblr.com/post/63078381703/dedapuma-japanese-brazilian-model-hideo-muraoka

 

“He looks like a younger, smaller version of _The Wall_.” Angela glanced across the bar where Darby’s date, Luke Greene, was playing darts with Joe and Davis.

“ _No_ , he fucking doesn’t.” Darby followed Angela’s gaze over to really look at Luke with fresh eyes. _Fuck._ “Fine, maybe a little.”

“I mean, girl, honestly,” Angela forced her to look first at Wallace who was arguing with the other drill instructors and then back at her date. “Luke could be his younger brother.”

“Fuck me.” Darby lowered her head until it rested on the bar. “Remind me not to come to our next reunion.”

“Or maybe date the man you want to fuck instead of a weaker version?” Angela moved Darby’s drink out of the way of her fidgeting fingers.

“Go back to your…beer.” She didn’t bother lifted her head to respond.

“Darby?”

She raised her head up and looked back to find Joe limping over towards the empty chair on the other side of Angela. “Who won?”

“Davis.” Joe eased up on the barstool with a wince. He set his cane against the wall. “Your boy doesn’t take losing well. He’s pouting in the men’s room.”

“Boy?” Darby tapped her empty glass on the bar to get the bartender’s attention. “He’s older than you are.”

“Maybe. He doesn’t act like it.” Joe ordered his own beer once Darby had asked for a refill.

She watched her friends exchange a glance. “What?

Angela gave her a worried look. “Are you sure about him? He’s…”

“ _Blondie.”_ Wallace’s voice boomed across the crowded bar.  The three of them followed the voice to find him waiving Darby over.

“You’ve been _summoned_.” Joe grinned into his beer.

“Fucker.” She made her way towards Wallace only to be met by Luke halfway there. “Hey.  Come meet…a friend.”

“Look. This is great but I’d rather spend our date with _just_ you.” Luke grazed her lips with his. “I’m taking you out of here. We can get a real meal and something a little better than beer.”

“I like beer.” Darby frowned a little at his tone but didn’t resist when he started to lead her out of the pub. “I should say bye to my…”

“We’re leaving _now._ ” Luke stopped moving a second later.

Darby glanced back from where she’d been waving at Angela to find a familiar giant sized _Wall_ blocking the exit. “Wallace, meet Luke Green, striker for Real Madrid. Luke, meet the bane of my existence Major Stuart Wallace.”

Wallace had his _Drill Instructor_ angry look on his face as he stretched his hand out to shake Luke’s. Darby winced internally when she watched him squeeze harder than necessary.  She found the rest of their group pointedly ignoring her silent request for intervention.

_Fuckers._

“Going somewhere, Blondie?” Wallace finally released Luke’s hand and then casually disregarded his presence altogether.

“Wallace.” She silently begged him not to be the complete pain that she knew he was going to be.  “We’re going out to get something to eat.”

“Out? Wasn’t this little reunion your fucking idea?” He shifted forward a little edging between her and Luke. “There’s food at the pub anyway.   ‘Best burger in fucking Madrid.’ I believe that was your exact words the last time we were here.”

“ _Move_.” She finally used her biotics to push him out of the way.

“Oi, Shepard.” Charlie, the youngest of their recruit class, stumbled up to grab her by the arm. “Where are you going?  You promised…something.”

“Did they give you the rum again? I thought we fucking talked about that.” Darby laughed at the _very_ drunk engineer.  Charlie was a sweetheart but the last time that he’d been allowed rum, he’d propositioned every single one of their instructors, including Wallace. “Maybe you should sit down before you fucking fall down.”

“I didn’t know The Wall had a brother.” Charlie poked Luke in the chest. “M’sorry.”

Darby covered her eyes with her hand. “ _Charlie._ ”

“But look at ‘im. ‘s  what every…all…’s true,” Charlie muttered.

“Come on, Charlie.” Davis walked over to wrap his arm around the drunken marine and drag him away.

“I think it’s time to fucking go.” Darby started towards the door _again_.

Wallace turned from where he’d been staring at Luke back to Darby with a knowing look on his face. It was d _efinitely_ time to fucking go. She didn’t need _anyone_ thinking to long about the resemblance between the two men.

Dinner was a relatively quiet affair.  Darby spent most of it trying not to see Wallace in Luke while her date spent his time telling her what a _great_ match he’d had the week before.  She might love football, but he was starting to bore her.

_Fucking Angela and her fucking mouth. Fuck the lot of them._

She resisted the urge to bang her head against the table.  She had a feeling that the man in the fancy suit standing nearby wouldn’t be impressed. He had frowned at her jeans and t-shirt when he’d led them to their table.

_Idiot._

Her dates with Luke prior to this hadn’t really been dates.  They’d mostly involved watching football at his place and screwing around for hours afterwards.  He was hot, and _very_ fit.  She didn’t have a problem with those kinds of dates.  The fancy restaurant wasn’t her scene.  She wished they’d stayed at the bar.

They went back to her hotel room.  She was currently stationed in Toronto.  The reunion had been set up in Madrid so that the instructors could join them if they wanted to.  Luke wasted no time in getting both of them naked.  He liked having her ride him.  

_Stop thinking about Wallace._

_Fucking Angela._

_Fucking Charlie._

_That isn’t helping._

The internal angry monologue in her head wasn’t helping her at all.  She forced herself to focus on the very, very attractive man underneath her.  The trouble was that once the resemblance had been pointed out to her, it was all she could see.

 _Fuck._     

Darby was lost in the moment when found herself calling out the _wrong_ fucking name.   The firm hands on her hips clenched tightly.  Luke lifted her up and tossed her across the room.  She hit the desk that sat across from her bed.   It knocked the air out of her lungs and she collapsed on the floor gasping for air.

“You fucking bitch. I knew it.” Luke leapt off the bed and dressed a lot more quickly than he’d undressed.  He passed by her still struggling to breathe and in a fit of rage kicked her square in the head with his boot. “Fucking stupid bitch.”

The last time that someone had attacked her.  She’d been fully clothed and not gasping for each breath.  She’d eviscerated the asshole with throw.  She didn’t get a chance to use her biotics; another kick knocked her back on the floor unconscious.  He was gone by the time that she regained consciousness.

She shot up to her feet and immediately fell back to the floor. She clutched at her head and side.  He must’ve got a few more kicks in while she was passed out.  She dragged herself into the bathroom to look in the full length mirror that hung on wall.  Her left side was covered in bruises.  Her lip was split and she had the beginnings of a black eye.

_Fuck._

Getting dressed was a slow and painful process for her.  She went with largest t-shirt and hoodie that she owned, and a pair of jeans.  She pulled on her sneakers as well.  With the hood up, she headed out of her hotel room.

She went to the one place that she knew was safe.  The place that she’d slept off many a hang-over.  The skycab driver gave her a questioning glance but didn’t argue with her.  It was twenty minutes before she was entering the code to Wallace’s front door.

“Don’t you have a…” Wallace’s voice trailed off while he watched the way she walked into the living room. “Blondie?”

“Vodka.” Her voice sounded like a raw, rough version of itself. “ _Now._ ”

He moved into the kitchen to grab a glass and poured her a drink.  He handed it to her then lifted the hoodie up away from her. “ _Are there more?”_

Darby shook her head very slowly. She gestured loosely to the majority of her body before gulping down the entire glass of vodka. She relished the burn that numbed her insides. Wallace took the glass and set it aside.  He led her over to the couch and sat her down.  She heard him moving around in his bedroom and understood why when he came back with a medi-gel and pain meds.

He took care of her first and then with rage evident in his eyes asked the question that she had known was coming. “Who _did_ this to you?”

“Wallace.”

“If you think that I’m going to sit here and look at you, like this, and _not_ fucking do something about it, you’ve got another goddamn thing coming.” He touched a gentle finger to the healing cut on her lip. “What happened?”

Darby couldn’t meet his eyes. She definitely couldn’t admit that she’d said his _fucking_ name in the middle of sex. “I fucked up.”

“I don’t care what the fuck you did. No one lays a hand on you like this, _ever_.” He forced her to meet his gaze. “ _Ever_.”

“Yea, yea.” Darby eased herself back on his couch.   She shifted carefully until she was on her back comfortably.  She twisted her head to the right to look at him.

“Tell me what happened.” Wallace helped her get her boots off and then draped a quilt over her.

“I…said the wrong name in an awkward fucking moment.” Darby pulled the blanket up to cover her face.  She apparently _was_ going to tell him. “Your name.”

“My…name?” Wallace seemed torn between anger at what had happened to her and interest in what had been the catalyst for it. “Where is he?”

“No fucking clue.” Darby didn’t actually know where Luke was at the moment. “I know where he’ll be in a few days though.”

 _“Good._ ”

It was four days later when Darby was leaning against the wall outside of a gym waiting.  Luke stepped out and started jogging down the alley towards the parking lot in the back.  He stopped when he caught sight of her. 

“Darby.”

“I’d like to reacquaint you with a couple friends of mine.” She pointed behind him to where Wallace stood with several of the other drill instructors. They’d all taken it quite personally.  Darby had been a favorite of everyone. “They’re quite _anxious_ to get _acquainted_ with you.”

_Fucking idiot._

Darby turned on her heel and walked away.  She didn’t need to see or want to know what they were going to do.  He’d be alive, and he’d been damn lucky to be so given the look that she’d seen on Wallace’s face when he’d first seen the bruises.

She was sitting on _his_ couch when Wallace returned a few hours later.  Aside from a few marks on his knuckles, he appeared completely unmarked from his _excursion_.  “So?”

“I don’t think he’ll ever fucking do something like that again.” He poured himself a drink and then sat beside her. “You ok?”

“Fucking wonderful.” She leaned back into the cushion. “I have to head back to Toronto.”

“Do you want to talk about what you said in the middle of fucking him?” Wallace asked slyly.

“Nope.”

“ _Blondie._ ”

“Fuck. Off.” She grabbed a cushion and swatted him in the face.

“The general consensus is that you’re supposed to be terrified of your drill instructor, not fucking lust after him.” Wallace grabbed the pillow in her hand and tossed it aside.

Darby flipped him off. “Idiot.”

 


End file.
